Houston purchased the land along Ruffino Road for $10.5 million. The land will serve as the site of stormwater basins as a part of the Ruffino Stormwater Detention Project.
Houston's vote came days after West University Place City Council voted and passed the land sale Dec. 5.
"We've been talking about Ruffino for years," Mayor Sylvester Turner said at the meeting.
The city of Houston entered conversations with West University Place over the land after other bids were already made over the Ruffino Hills site.
The adjacent tract of land along Ruffino Road, which the city of Houston is looking to purchase as well, is owned by the city of Bellaire. Houston has a nonbinding agreement with Bellaire on conducting appraisals at the site, Community Impact previously reported. Both sites combine to about 150 acres of land.
This stormwater detention project will increase flood control and mitigate the future risk of flooding, city officials said.
“In an area that felt a tremendous impact from Hurricane Harvey and the severe storms that came before it, the Ruffino Stormwater Detention Project will bring flood mitigation to protect more than 1,300 homes and businesses in Southwest Houston,” Turner said. “This project will create a more resilient stormwater infrastructure that aligns with Resilient Houston and the city’s Climate Action Plan.”
In a Dec. 8 press release, West University Place's Mayor Susan Sample acknowledged the significance of the flood plan.
“This sale culminates years of discussion over the future of this property, and knowing Houston’s proposed use of the site as future stormwater detention will help thousands of neighboring Houstonians by providing flood relief once the project is complete is truly a win for both cities,” Sample said. “Council and I feel it could not have worked out better for all involved.”
